68. Chapter 68
Arwen
Beep. Beep.
The steady beep of the heart monitor fills the room with a rhythm I can’t stop listening to.
I sit beside Holly’s bed, my fingers wrapped around hers as though I can somehow anchor her here through sheer determination.
Her skin is much cooler now, which is reassuring, but it hangs limp in mine.
Bandages disappear beneath the sleeve of her hospital gown, and the rise and fall of her chest is slow and even beneath the thin blanket.
Behind me, Atticus stands close enough that I can feel the warmth of him against my back. His hands settle gently on my shoulders, his thumbs tracing slow circles that do little to quiet the knot in my chest.
“She’ll be okay, Arwen,” he says softly. “The physicians said she simply needs time and rest.”
“I know.”
I’ve heard the doctors. Watched them examine her. They promised the overload didn’t cause any permanent damage.
But knowing something and believing it are two different things. And I won’t believe it with my whole heart until she opens her eyes.
“I just...” My voice catches, and I squeeze Holly’s hand a little tighter. “She almost died.”
The memory refuses to loosen its grip. Holly’s body glowing brighter and brighter.
Her screams.
If we’d been even a few seconds slower...
“I can’t believe she came for me.”
“I can,” Atticus says. “They all wanted to.”
“That’s the problem.” I say, looking back at him. “They shouldn’t have had to. I don’t want them in danger.”
“No,” he agrees. “But you don’t get to decide that for them.”
I let out a frustrated sigh. That doesn’t make it any easier to watch Holly lying unconscious because of me.
The infirmary door swings open behind us. “Hey...” Brix says, balancing two steaming cups of coffee.
I look over my shoulder and narrow my eyes.
“Still mad then?” A crooked grin spreads across his face as he almost spills the scalding liquid on himself.
Rolling my eyes at him, I link Holly’s pinky with mine. “I can feel multiple things simultaneously, Brixton James. I can be furious with all of you,” I continue, “and still love all of you. I can be grateful that you came after me while also wishing none of you had ever stepped foot in the Crumbs.”
Brix chuckles as he walks over and sets one coffee on a nearby table. “I don’t think any of us regret going.”
He nods toward Holly. “Least of all Sleeping Beauty over there.”
My gaze drifts back to her.
“You’ll have quite an argument on your hands when she wakes up.”
A reluctant laugh escapes me through my nose.
He bumps my shoulder lightly. “You’ve been here for hours. You should go and get some rest.” He pulls another chair over and drops into it.
“I’ll stay with her. Sly’s on his way, too.”
I hesitate.
Maddox had left almost immediately after we landed to explain everything to Academy leadership. Considering we’d just started a battle that left multiple Council heirs dead, I should probably make sure we weren’t all about to be expelled. Or arrested.
I lean down and squeeze Holly’s hand one last time.
“You better wake up soon,” I murmur. “I still have a lot to yell at you about.”
Atticus reaches for my hand, intertwining our fingers, and together we leave the infirmary.
***
A breeze hits my face the moment we step outside into the quiet. The battle feels far away. Students wander across the courtyard in hushed conversations. The fountains continue flowing as though nothing has happened.
It’s almost enough to make me believe everything is going to be normal.
“Arwen!”
I come to an abrupt stop as a familiar voice cuts across the courtyard.
Ryker pushes himself off one of the stone benches outside the infirmary and strides toward us. Dark circles shadow his eyes, and his clothes are rumpled enough to suggest he hasn’t slept.
Relief floods his face the closer he gets. “Thank the universe.”
He reaches for me, but I step backward before he can touch me. “Don’t touch me.”
His brows pull together as confusion replaces the relief on his face. “I... I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“You have no business being here, Ryker,” Atticus grumbles, pulling me behind him.
He looks genuinely bewildered. “I wanted to go with Maddox and help, but your stupid bonds wouldn’t let me.”
Something inside me snaps.
“Don’t you dare talk about my bonds.”
His mouth closes.
“Stay away from them,” I say, my voice low and steady. “Stay away from my friends. And especially stay away from me.”
He takes a cautious step closer. “Arwen... I thought we had an understanding. We weren’t coming after each other anymore.”
His eyes search mine. “What is this about?”
I close the distance between us until we’re almost nose to nose. “I’ll tell you what this is about.”
The anger that’s been simmering since Brix told me what happened boils over.
“If you ever threaten one of my friends again,”—my voice drops to something dangerously calm—"I will not hesitate to use the full force of my power on you."
Understanding dawns on his face. “Arwen... no. It was a mistake. That was before—”
“Fuck off, Ryker.”
He opens his mouth again. “Please, just let me expl—”
Atticus steps smoothly between us. His posture remains perfectly composed, but something cold settles over his features. “She said,” he replies, “fuck off.”
Footsteps approach us from behind, breaking the tense silence. “What’s going on here?”
Maddox walks toward us, looking as exhausted as the rest of us. Dried blood still stains one side of his shirt.
“Ryker was just leaving,” I reply evenly.
Ryker’s jaw tightens, but without another word, he turns and walks away into the darkness.
Atticus watches Ryker disappear before turning back to me. “I’m all for teaming up against Ryker,” he says, one brow arching, “but what was that about?”
Groaning, I rub a hand over my face. “It doesn’t matter.”
I turn toward Maddox and slip my hand into his. “What did Dean Bellows say?” I ask. “Are we all in trouble for leaving during lockdown?”
Maddox lets out a long breath through his nose. “Probably. This was more than sneaking into Academy Hollow after curfew, after all. She’ll probably need to convene with the entire Council.”
“Technically,” I point out, “I was kidnapped. So I shouldn’t be in trouble.”
Atticus’s lips twitch.
“Speaking of kidnappings...” I look between them. “Did you find Daphne?”
Every trace of amusement vanishes from Maddox’s face. “We haven’t found her yet. It looks like she’s no longer on campus. But I’ll find her.”
Atticus continues, “He forced me into a game of rock-paper-scissors over who could exact revenge first. Maddox gets to go first, but I intend to collect, eventually.”
I blink. “You two are unbelievable.”
“The academy is also searching,” Maddox mutters. “Hopefully, we’ll find her first, but we can’t pursue her right now. The Dean has summoned all three of us.”
When we reach Dean Bellows’s office, Maddox opens the door without knocking, and we step inside together as a united front.
Whatever happens next, I refuse to let either of my bonded—or any of my friends—carry the blame for coming after me.
Dean Bellows remains dressed in her academy clothes. Considering the hour, I wonder if she’s slept at all. Judging by the stack of reports covering her desk...
Probably not.
Her expression gives nothing away. “Take a seat.”
The three of us settle into the chairs opposite her desk. I don’t even wait for her to begin.
“Dean Bellows. Maddox and Atticus had no choice but to come after me,” I continue anyway. “If anyone should be held responsible—”
“That,” she interrupts, “is not what we’re here to discuss. Don’t get me wrong, the events surrounding multiple students leaving Academy grounds in direct violation of lockdown protocols will be discussed in the future.”
Her tone remains calm.
“But that is not why I’ve asked the three of you here tonight.”
A cold knot settles in my stomach. “What happened?”
Dean Bellows folds her hands together atop her desk. “In the short time since your return, I’ve already begun receiving reports from contacts within Gluttony. The things they’re saying... If they’re true, they place all of us in a precarious position.”
My heart pounds as the room suddenly feels too warm. Vex. He got away. He knows about my new powers.
“Arwen. I understand why you think it may be in your best interest to conceal the truth.”
She leans forward.
“But I need you to trust me. I may be one of the few people in a position to offer you any meaningful protection or guidance. I’ll be frank.”
Her eyes never leave mine.
“Do you possess a second faction’s sin power?”
My mouth falls open. Beside me, Maddox’s grip tightens around my hand.
Dean Bellows continues before I can answer.
“This is the rumor circulating. When it reaches the other Councilors—and it will—I need to understand exactly what we’re dealing with if I’m going to have any hope of protecting you.”
She looks back at me as we all sit in silence.
“Arwen. I’m on your side.”
I swallow. “It’s true.” The whisper barely leaves my lips.
Dean Bellows leans back in her chair and lets out a slow breath. “Things are about to become... tumultuous. This is unprecedented. In all my years at SinVail, I have never encountered a student capable of wielding two faction sins.”
Her gaze settles on me.
“And in my experience, the unknown is perceived as a threat by the Council.”
She folds her hands together.
“We’ve already received word from Pride. Councilor Willshire is demanding that Atticus return home immediately.”
“I won’t leave Arwen,” Atticus cuts in. “I don’t care what my father demands. MY place is with her.”
Dean Bellows inclines her head.
“No one is forcing you to return. But my point is that everything has changed. We have two dead Gluttony heirs. A faction on the brink of civil war. And now, rumors of a powerful student with multiple sin powers and ties to two Councilor Heirs.
Silence settles over the office.
“Arwen,” Dean Bellows says quietly, “the Council can only place you into one of two categories.”
I already know I will not like either of them.
“A very powerful ally...”
She pauses.
“...or a very dangerous enemy. Either way, things around here are about to change.”
I stare down at my hands, sighing at the thought of being placed in another category. I don’t want to be used as a weapon or hunted like a criminal. But this puts me in a position few people get in Vail. A position to have a voice. “So what happens now?”
“We need time. I have the workings of a plan, but I need to monitor the political fallout and gather whatever information I can first.”
She looks at each of us in turn as she stands from behind her desk. “But until then, I strongly advise all three of you to remain within Academy grounds. The Academy is the safest place for you right now.”
I shower quickly, letting the hot water wash away blood, dirt, and smoke until my skin feels raw. Arriving back in my dorm, I have more questions than answers. I almost collapse against the door. Holly’s empty bed breaks my heart and makes me just want to curl up in her blankets.
I pull out my phone and type a message.
Arwen: Have I told you I’m proud of you?
I smile as I get a response almost instantly.
Maddox: Only about fifty times since we got back. Go to bed.
Arwen: Rude.
Maddox: Only so it can be time to wake up and see you again.
With a tired sigh, I climb beneath my blankets. Every muscle in my body aches. I plan on sleeping for three days straight. I reach toward the bedside lamp to switch it off...
...and pause.
There’s a folded piece of paper sitting beside the lamp. I roll my eyes as I reach to grab it.
Maylo…
But a strange feeling settles low in my stomach as I unfold it, not recognizing the handwriting.
I jerk upright, hands shaking as I read the elegant, swirling penmanship.
You are not one of them.
What in the actual fuck?